Fajã da Ovelha

Parish of Fajã da Ovelha

Area: 24 km²
Population: 899 inhabitants (Census 2011)
Population Density: 40,4 hab/km²
Distance to the centre of the municipality: 13,3 km

History

The name Fajã da Ovelha (Land slip/deposit of Sheep) may be related to the settlement on collapsed land that had worryingly reaped a sheep. The incident remained alive among the population’s memory attaching itself to the area, and from there it spread to the whole parish.

This civil parish was founded in the mid-16th century and its headquarters were based at the Manueline influenced Chapel of São Lourenço (Saint Lawrence). One of the very first settlers (15th century) was Gonçalo Ferreira de Carvalho who owned land there. This parish merits much interest from those curious about the past, many marks are still maintained by the stillness of the present.

Build Heritage

Parish Church of São João Batista

The chaplain and the parish had their start at the Chapel of São Lourenço and remained there until the second quarter of the 18th century. Infanta Dona Catarina, regent of the kingdom, approved a charter authorizing the construction of a new temple and its transferal to a more appropriate location in harmony with the populations wishes.

However the construction of the new church only took place a few years later, with Fajã da Ovelha being chosen. It isn’t possible to determine the exact date of the conclusion or consecration of the new church.

Chapel of São Lourenço

This chapel was built between the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century. It was here that the civil parish was founded in 1570 until the 18th century when the parish church of São João Batista was built. The current chapel is a reconstruction of the original.